Conclusion - Week 15

I started out taking this class because I enjoyed SM 221 and I needed another elective to fill up my schedule. Now that it's over, I can honestly say that I would have taken the class whether I needed it for an elective or not. Even though I didn't always voice my opinions on articles or video clips during the class, (mostly because there was generally one or two people who controlled conversation) I really enjoyed being able to post my reflections about subjects that we discussed on my blog.

I've learned so much in this class about how sport and gender have been constructed by our society and by the media especially. I've also been opened up to several unique issues in sport and how they have been handled or resolved by institutions such as LPGA, NBA, or other league. I've also learned about how males look at the construction of sport and gender through hearing their opinions on issues in class. Even though I didn't always agree with them, it was nice to get their perspective and a different way of looking at the issues. The thing I found most useful from class was having the videos to supplement the PowerPoint presentations. It was nice to be able to read the articles and then pick out the key points in class through the notes, but having the videos helped me the most. It was like having something to compare what I just learned to.

I would have to say that one of the readings/topics that I found most interesting was the one I talked about during our blog presentations, The River Jordan. I found this interesting because it just seemed really interesting to me that the author was comparing the type of change that Martin Luther King Jr made to the potential that Michael Jordan had. In my mind, I think that was just over the top. Martin Luther King Jr did incredible things for civil rights. Even though MJ was an amazing athlete, I think it's ridiculous for anyone to try and hold him to the standards as Dr. King. Another topic I really enjoyed was Serena and Venus Williams at Indian Wells. We discussed this topic a little bit in the 221 class I took, but we went into the topic in depth a lot more in this class. I also enjoyed reading Serena's version of what happened that day and her reactions.

Keeping a blog has already worked out great for me in this class and other classes I've taken. Normally when you take a class you might think about the topics again a little after the class, but it's not likely. With a blog, I had the opportunity to actually go back and reflect on the topics we discussed in class. The blogs also gave me the opportunity to consider my own life experiences with sport and how they compare to the topics were discussing.

My career will be in the field of event planning and tourism, but even though this class doesn't relate specifically to my career, I will definitely take the concepts we discussed with me. I also think I may be interested in doing event planning for an athletic facility someday! Besides that, I really do like the concept of keeping a blog to post my reflections, so this may be something I continue with as part of my career profile.

Who Should Get the Heisman? - Week 14

It's that time of year again... time to pick college football's most prestigious player of the year. There are five finalists nominated to receive the Heisman this Saturday in Manhattan including Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Mark Ingram, Toby Gerhart and Ndamukong Suh. This is a tough decision because these are all five great candidates that deserve to be in the running. Tebow is always a great competitor having already won the Heisman as a sophomore in 2007, this would be a great accomplishment for him to become a two time winner. McCoy has had a great season and led Texas to the BCS National Championship. He was also nominated for the Heisman last season. Suh was awarded the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player, which wasn't an easy task because he had to beat out a lot of top defensive competitors. Ingram is someone i didn't even think about when I considered Heisman nominees, but now the mix, it makes perfect sense. Ingram broke Alabama's school record for rushing yards this season and in my opinion he is really the only person who put up good numbers against Florida. This brings us to the final candidate. Gerhart is a running back from Stanford who led the nation in rushing yards this season.

When I first looked over the list of nominees, it seemed like Tebow or McCoy were most likely to receive the honor. However, I think the other contenders may give them a run for their money. More specifically, I think that Toby Gerhart just might pull it off. Even though he is from a team that will not be competing for a BCS championship, he still had a great season and he surprised everyone by coming up with all of those rushing yards! Besides that, he plays good, solid football and he can catch the ball. He also ran all over USC's defense and that's no walk in the park.

Anyways, that's just my opinion. We'll find out for sure on Saturday night!

Magic Johnson & AIDS - Week 13

In class we learned that Magic Johnson held a press conference on November 7, 1991 to announce that he had contracted the HIV virus and he would be retiring from basketball effective immediately. Even though I was only 3 years old when that happened and obviously too young to even comprehend the situation, I can see now that what he did was for the best. I admire that Magic took control of the situation and did what he had to do. It was very unfortunate timing for the athlete though. Magic Johnson was at his prime. He was a 3 time NBA MVP and his career was on the rise. Another reason I really admire Magic Johnson for is his decision to actually announce his condition to the world. Up until this point, HIV & AIDS was completely associated with homosexuals and drug use. I think this announcement really opened up the public's eyes to the severity of the HIV/AIDS situation and brought them to the realization that anyone could actually contract the virus.

Even though contracting HIV/AIDS is a devastating thing to happen to someone, Magic Johnson turned it into a learning tool and developed an empire dedicated to promoting health and well being. He created Magic Johnson Enterprises and Magic Johnson Foundation. His efforts have helped so many people since 1991 and continue to do so today.
Link to Magic Johnson's Website

What is Butch Anyways? - Week 12

In class we had a discussion about women being "butch" and I remember one person mentioning that women are "supposed" to be a certain way that is "obviously" not butch. Well according to The American Heritage Dictionary, butch is a slang term meaning Exhibiting stereotypically or exaggeratedly masculine traits or appearance. Used especially of lesbians and gay men. This term is offensive and based solely on a person's appearance. Before that class, I also thought of butch as meaning a lesbian woman with short hair. Even though I never use that word because honestly, how often does it come up?; I still associated it with lesbians and a short cropped haircut. I realize now that it is stereotypical and judgmental. However, in class the discussion came up about a woman being called butch because she is competitive, athletic, and strong. It is absurd to consider a female athlete a lesbian because she possesses these qualities. This issue relates directly to the "image problem" we discussed in class about a fear that all women athletes are lesbians. Really? I want to know who sat down one day and decided that in order for a female to be a strong competitor with great talents, she must be a lesbian. This concept is ridiculous and it forces female athletes to believe that they have to use the "feminine apologetic" to convince others of their sexual orientation. Homophobia is an issue in women sports that needs to be addressed. I think it's great that Jen Harris stood up for herself against that kind of discrimination. Also, I found an article that was written by Pat Griffin about the entire Jen Harris/Rene Portland situation. The link is below.

Settling Can Mean Victory

Asianization & Yao Ming - Week 11

In class we discussed the article by Barker and the idea that the "Asianization" of America has becoming a new phenomenon that has been sneaking up on us for several years. We made a list in class of several influences of Asian Americans in our culture and in sport. Personally, I think this is great. I really don't understand why it's made a big deal of. We are supposed to be "the melting pot," a country with blended cultures and pasts. I never realized the impact that Asian culture has actually had on the United States. It is everywhere, from candy to movies to food.
When it comes to Yao Ming, it seems like everything we have discussed has been so ready to focus on stereotypes of commercials or magazine covers and everything else that sets Yao apart from Americans. Yao has become what is referred to as a "model minority" and a contributor to globalization of the NBA. To me, the term "model minority" is equivalent to "model citizen" and that is just something that society views as what is right and proper. I don't feel like that is something positive as all. It is an expectation that you at societal standards and should be made an example of. Well, no one is perfect and that seems like an awful lot of pressure to put on someone.
The last thing I wanted to mention was the video we watched where Shaq did an interview and made a somewhat racist comment that was more of an act really. Even though he claims to have been joking, it could almost be seem as taunting. Also, if that was indeed a joke to Yao Ming, it should have been something that was said between them and that way it would not have offended any other person.

Athletes & Politics - Week 10

Are male black athletes being asked for too much? What is the line between being an athlete and a being a political figure? Is supporting an issue just another endorsement?



These questions seem to be increasingly important lately with all the hype about Lebron James declining to sign a letter condemning China for its role in the genocide in Darfur. The same thing happened to Michael Jordan when he refused to back a democratic African-American senate candidate. Michael Jordan paved the way for other athletes to remain apolitical and not publicly shares their views on controversial issues.

In my opinion, that is perfectly acceptable. Even though these two very powerful black, male athletes are sure to have a lot of influence, they shouldn't have to be subjected to using their influence over anyone. I think it's actually admirable that the athletes refused to back these issues because by doing that, whether it was the intended purpose or not, they would be persuading thousands of fans to have the same belief. People would certainly want to have the same views as their heroes and important issues should be decided on ones own. Everyone is capable of coming to their own conclusion without persuasion from Jordon or Lebron.

I think it is ridiculous for some people to assume that these athletes should have to take a stand on political issues simply because their good at basketball. It's a personal choice for them to voice their opinions and they should not be persuaded to use their position if they do not so choose. They sign a contract to play basketball, they sign contracts to endorse Nike and other sponsors, but they do not sign contracts that force them to back political figures and put their name to an issue.

Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes - Week 9

In class we watched an experiment by a third grade teacher on her students. She divided them into 2 groups and gave each privileges equivalent of white person of that era in turn. If you haven't watched the entire series, you can do so here:

A CLASS DIVIDED

After watching the original experiment and then the reactions of the third graders as adults, I've concluded that this experiment really changed them for the better. There was no longer racial discrimination and prejudice. It is clearly that before the experiment the students find black people to be below them because their skin is white. They call black people derogatory names and refer to themselves as better because that is what they were taught to believe. It was so refreshing to see how they felt after the experiment. The students realized that they were only being treated that way because of the color of their eyes and that's not fair. Just like it's not fair to treat someone differently because of the color of their skin.

Another thing that I noticed is that on the second day the children were just so willing to accept that the teacher lied to them about the eye colors and the other ones were actually better. They were so willing to just accept their teacher's word for it. This is proof of why it's so important to set a good example for young children and teach them right from wrong at a very early age. Also, the test scores seemed to improve on the days that the children were more powerful. This proves that empowerment and encouragement plays a large part in education. Each child can do better if they believe they should.

All in all I think this was a great experience, however I do agree wit the teacher in saying I would hope that it wouldn't have to be used on children everywhere. Especially today. The experiment obviously had a great impact on those third graders and I hope that the effects will continue to reach everyone who has seen the videos.